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Forget the gym and health-related resolutions. This year, re-tool your travel. Here are my ten resolutions for making 2016 the year of adventure. It's not just about where you go, it's how you do it.

1. Invest in travel-size and skip the checked luggage.

I recently traveled to the Exumas in the Bahamas. Accessible only by a small plane or boat from Nassau, this beautiful chain of islands is fairly remote. I knew I couldn't afford to lose my luggage as the trip was part-vacation, part-business. And so, I bit the bullet and outfitted myself with travel-size everything. Luckily, I've stayed in enough hotels that I didn't have to buy mini-conditioners or shampoos, but for things like contact lens solution it was worth springing for the smaller size. As a travel writer, I probably should have jumped on this train earlier but I now I am committed as it not only saves time in the airport but also space in your luggage.

Although I travel a lot, I tend to pack last minute and frantically. However, after spending time with a few other, highly organized travelers, I've realized that organizing before you go makes your trip infinitely easier.

The ziplock baggies can help organize toiletries, dirty clothes or even shells that you picked up on the beach. In a pinch, the extra cloth tote is great for extra stuff you may have acquired on your journey.

5. If you are traveling to a new place for business, book through the weekend so that you have some down time to explore.

There is nothing worse than visiting a city and only seeing the boardroom.

I've never liked purchasing flight insurance. However, in the past year, I've cancelled a few flights and lost enough money on them that I need to accept that the extra $30 or $40 is worth it when your travel plans are more open-ended.

9. Invest in a sarong or light-weight camping towel and bring it everywhere.

I picked up a beautiful, lightweight towel in Morocco that I love for travel. Not only did it cost me less than $10, but it folds up small. I've used it at the beach, as a scarf and even as a bath towel.

Another good option is a camping towel, like the one available here. Frequent traveler and camper Devan Gotowka swears by hers. She says, "They are incredibly useful because they are super absorbent but you can still squeeze them out to dry really quickly."

In addition to using it as a normal towel, she uses hers to wrap wet clothes or bathing suits in her suitcase since it absorbs the extra water. She has also found that when she is camping, if she wraps damp clothes inside the towel and puts the towel at the bottom of her sleeping bag, the clothes will be dry by the morning. Lastly, she likes to wrap her hair in it to have it dry "super fast" while in the great outdoors.

Because it folds down super small, she says that, "you always have a towel or blanket with you in situations that you normally wouldn't want to carry one."

10. If someone offers you a ride on their boat, and you trust them, say yes.

I would never recommend taking a boat ride with a stranger. But, if you do know someone and trust their abilities on the water, always say yes to a boat ride. It is one of the best ways to travel.